Of Fire and Pride
by Amisara
Summary: Don't mind me....under construction.
1. Beginning of the End

This is the first chapter to "When Kira found Legolas." I took the plot from a story I had first started to write but did not complete.

Hallo, that little note is from the original author but now IM here and you'll have to deal with me AmisaraII! This should be fun. If you want a full explanation, see chapter eight or nine, whichever, which is the first chapter I completed on my own. Any whoo, I'm just dropping in to do the disclaimer since the previous author could never remember.

Disclaimer: Um, I'm not Tolkien so if I understand all this correctly it means I don't own squat.

Good for me. That was short sweet and to the point. Ariba!

One day in early January while walking home from school, Kira took a detour through the snow covered woods. It was while walking through the woods that she came upon a very curious clearing. There was no snow on the ground though it was open to the sky. So engrossed in these thoughts was Kira that she did not watch her footing and tripped. Not over a log, which looking back, would have been nice, but a person. Just for future reference, nothing good ever comes of tripping over people who are lying on the ground.

Kira let out a shriek of terror, and scrambled away, fearing that she had stumbled over a dead body. She was frozen momentarily and couldn't think what to do. The person, a young man she realized, remained still though his eyes were open. Kira crawled forward slowly, flicked him on the shoulder and sprang back. Bravery was not her strong point and the fact that she was all alone was not helping.

She crawled closer to him and began to shake him vigorously. Suddenly he blinked once, then twice, and sprang up off the ground as though God himself had revived him. His eyes stayed locked on Kira and he peered at her through slitted eyes. He growled at her in a foreign language as Kira stared back unperturbed. She was letting her guard down, she knew but the man before her seemed so much less threatening when he was jabbering like a mad-man.

"Salut?" she asked timidly in French. No response. He asked something in his language again. She queried in another language and he responded with a different language from the first. They continued in this fashion for sometime until Kira had exhausted every language she knew, and even those that she spoke poorly. The man she noticed looked particularly smug when she had to stop first.

When Kira turned her back on him, he stopped her with something that sounded like a plea. Kira did not understand the words but something clicked in her head. It hit her hard and fast like a flying brick. Saviour divine, he was speaking Elvish. Or at least that's what she thought it was. She had no way of knowing, since she hadn't read every science fiction book invented by man. This was more Jordan's, her friend but also a super nerd, area of expertise.

Kira let out a groan. Of all the people she had to stumble upon (literally) she had found the weirdo of the ton who preferred speaking Elvish to a real language. Her only regret was that she had not allowed Jordan to walk home with her like she usually did. The loser (she meant that in the best possible way) probably spoke Elvish fluently. Taking a deep breath she spoke the only words of Elvish she knew: "Mae govannen….erm yo soy Kira…. mellon-nin!" trying not to twitch in exasperation of the ridiculousness of it all. This experience was awkward and degrading. By rights she shouldn't even know those few words of Elvish but Jordan must have been rubbing off on her. The man's face lit up in recognition and he rushed over to her and began to jibber away. Kira promptly held up a hand to stop him. "I don't actually speak Elvish, thank you very much.," she said shaking her head to show that she did not understand. She really had no patience for this. If this man wanted to be terminally insane then he could do it on his own time. "Look Robin Hood, I've got things to do so if you'll excuse me…I'm going to leave now." She brushed a few flakes of snow of her pants and began trudging through the snow towards her home. She walked many minutes, happy to have left the deranged fellow behind once she had ascertained he was alive. She stopped once to tie her shoes once, when she noticed there was a shadow on the snow. Wheeling around she was alarmed, though not that surprised, to see Robin Hood standing behind her and grinning sheepishly. Kira broke into a sprint and did not stop running until she reached home. Somehow stalker-boy had kept up with her. Right as she closed the door, he reached the threshold. A satisfying crunch followed.

"What do you want?" she bellowed through the windowpane at the blonde man rubbing his nose where it had hit the door.

"We must talk." He said firmly looking her in the eyes.

"You speak English!" she said accusingly knowing she had therefore made a fool of herself unnecessarily. Never again would she do a good deed and check on people who are lying half-frozen in the snow, she vowed.

"No, Westron. And Sindarin"

"And what in the hell is Westron?" He searched around for words that suited his purpose. Not finding any he said, "Please. One minute. One minute only." Kira eyed him warily, fully aware that there was no reason for her to trust him at all. But he looked so desperate and he _had _been out n the cold for so long…. Kira unlocked the bolt and allowed him to step inside.

Kira had ever so kindly made them both hot chocolate. The stranger was sipping his with gusto. Instead of using the handle of the mug, he wrapped all his long fingers around the cup. She allowed herself a smile. He was pleasing enough to look at. Let's make that very pleasing. With his long hair framing his face, and a chocolate mustache gracing his upper lip, he could have given any Swiss-Miss model a run for their money.

But, as interesting as this was, she would not sit with a stranger in her kitchen for the whole evening so she decided to get to the point. "Kirawen," she said pointing to herself to try and indicate that that was her given name. She pointed at him and waited.

"Legolas," he said and pointed at his nose. Weird name, she thought to herself. It matches his get up perfectly. But determined not to spoil their progress, she pressed on at least happy they were getting somewhere. "What do you need?" she asked slowly. This encounter had to be one of the strangest things ever to happen to her. It is not everyday that you find a grown man in the middle of France who doesn't speak French, knows hardly any English dressed like a fool escaped from a Robin Hood convention.

"Take you." He said with a brisk nod. Kira twitched just a little. Realizing he had misspoken, he tried again. "Tell you."

"Tell me what?" Kira said, trying to keep the puzzlement out of her voice. He actually knew her? So this meeting wasn't all chance. Odd….

"Elf." He stated flatly. Kira waited for him to finish, but he said no more. Kira sighed. This made no sense. "Are you done then?" He looked alarmed.

"No! _Elf_!" he said more urgently.

"I don't understand your blithering! And the fact that you're speaking in sentence fragments doesn't help."

"You are an elf," he gritted out, seemingly embarrassed by this chastisement. Thinking he was still just jumbling his words, Kira stood in resignation. This wasn't going to work. "Come with me," she said, beckoning with her hand that he should follow. He stood gracefully from her small table and looked longingly at the cup of chocolate before turning and falling in step behind her.

She led him to her living room and told him to sit on the couch. Going over to one of the mahogany bookcases crammed with books, she drew out one particular title; 'English for dummies!' She was notoriously bad at English as all her friends knew, and that knowledge had resulted in this particular gaga gift. It was a long shot but the more but the more he spoke of a language that she could understand, the better.

Kira placed a couple of English dictionaries and workbooks beside him as well before leaving the room. She tidied the kitchen, and then went to her room to reflect. What was she doing letting a stranger into the house? How was it possible that he really only spoke Elvish well? Was this all a plot to lure her gullible self into some kind of trap?

Well he was already in the house so if he really wanted to kill her he certainly had his chance to do the dirty deed. A couple of hours had passed and so she decided that now she really wanted some answers. Kira grabbed the knife that she always kept under her bed in case of thieves and started downstairs to face him.

Legolas sighed in relief. He knew Kira did not trust him and he had a few questions with him. These old books ere the best chance at communication and he had perused them thoroughly in the last few hours. They were in common, but he had the nagging suspicion that whoever had wrote this had started making up words half way through. Honestly, what the hell was a warthog?

Then there was her house. It was huge! Why did one tiny little person need so much space? And he saw no evidence of a fireplace, though the drink (Valar, it was good.) she had given him was warm.

Thoroughly satisfied that they would now be able to communicate, Legolas began his search for Kira. They met on the staircase that led to the upstairs. He noticed the ill concealed knife in her sleeve but ignored it. She was just a human, and a girl at that. " " How are you Kira. I am LegolasThranduilion and Lady Galadriel has asked me to escort you home." He checked one of the books to make sure his speech was on point.

Kira's confused voice interrupted his musings.

"But I am home…." Legolas felt his eyes strain at the effort it took not to roll them.

"I don't mean this house, I mean to the elf haven of the Golden Wood."


	2. Like a stubborn potato

Disclaimer: Hehe, still don't own it but I'm working on it.

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Kira stared at him with obvious surprise, giving him a look that would suggest he had obviously gone half-mad. The knife from her sleeve had clattered to the floor. They both glanced at it. Legolas mercifully refrained from commenting. "Care to repeat that?"

"I am an elf. You are an elf," he stated evenly.

"And there in lies the problem. Elves don't exist. Only in Jordan's mind." She felt this was more than necessary to point out.

"What are you talking about? Surely you have at least heard of elves. And who is Jordan?" he added as an afterthought. Kira ignored both of these questions. "I see your English is very good." Kira did not believe he could have learned it in just half a morning and so assumed he had simply been holding back during their conversation, preferring to speak in his silly made up language.

He only shrugged. " I am blessed with a glorious memory." Now Kira snorted disbeleivingly. "Your modesty is humbling," she quipped.

"Please, we have a lot to discuss in a short amount of time. Can we sit?" He looked about him, as if waiting for chairs to appear while Kira sank stubbornly to the floor and folded her arms across her chest. "All right, start talking." Legolas looked as if he was sorely tempted to roll his eyes but he sat cross-legged on the floor beside her. Kira was staring him down with narrowed eyes so he began thus;

"You are an elf, one of the fair folk. Galadriel, queen of Lothlorien has sent me to bring you back to your home. It is really quite simple." There really is a lesson to be learned from this, Kira reflected grimly. Never invite strangers into your house. Especially the odd attractive ones.

"Oh yeah?" she said sounding supremely unconcerned. " And I suppose a one toed ostrich brought you here."

The fact that Legolas looked so serene and incredibly handsome when he arched his brow was not helping her mood. She shouldn't even be humouring him.

"The lady of the wood sent me here with a special potion of her own. Not pleasant but… effective" Legolas gave a little shudder to illustrate his point. "Lothlorien is one of the few elf realms left on middle earth. He took a breath but before he could speak Kira interrupted him. "Who is the Lady of the wood? And Galadriel. Honest to God what is all this rubbish about me being an elf you keep going on about?"

" You are an elf, because your parents were elves…. and you are still an elf or at least you will be, though your not one right now and---:" Kira left out a hollow laugh.

"You do realize you were rambling don't you? Let me just save you some trouble because I think I see where this is going, my parents were members of some tree-hugging organization or another and now you want me to join. If you wanted money or whatever for your silly little group, you could have just asked. Not that I would have given you any." Legolas clenched his jaw and tried to calm his impatience. "No, you couldn't be more wrong." Of course in saying this he was quite right as Kira couldn't have been more wrong. She looked around the room mildly. Legolas knew he was gaining no ground so tried a different tactic. "Do you remember how your parents died?" The room suddenly went very still. "Naturally, as I'm never likely to forget." she answered coldly. "Look, my opinion of you is failing rapidly so why don't you just leave. I admit you really know how to work the sympathy angle, what with lying in the snow half-dead but this is quite enough. Its best you leave." she said icily. The turn of events surprised him and he sat momentarily blinking at her. "What? Are you deaf? Scram!" she repeated at him. The look she was favouring him with was not pleasant either. If looks could kill he would not only be dead with his corpse aflame, but his soul would be doomed to eternal damnation.

Knowing perfectly well that he had overstayed his welcome he made for the door and opened it. "I'll see you soon" he said bluntly. Kira closed the door firmly in his face

Legolas walked back towards the woods, releasing a long-suffering sigh as he went. He had known she was strong willed when he met her. He might as well have been talking to an extremely stubborn potato, for all the good it had done him. He had come here with a noble goal but some how everything had gone up in smoke. Looking out at the dull winter sky, he wondered why he had ever thought that this would be easy.

Kira on the other hand, dismissed the encounter relatively quickly as nothing for her to worry about as everything had ended relatively well. In fact, she mused, her parents might have been proud.

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There you go. I'm revising chapters one through seven but I'm doing my best to stick to the original plot. Now you should probably review. And since I am a completely unbiased third party with no personal interest in the matter we can all assume that my advice is sound.


	3. In the still of the Night

All right, now for my next trick, I will reveal very subtly how Kira's parents died.

Disclaimer: I lost the battle in the courts so now there is no chance of me owning anything. Golly gee whiz, I am so depressed.

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Kira was not sad to see Legolas (if that really was his name) depart. He was a little lying git and she really wanted nothing more to do with him. She was a little disgusted that he had played dead just to rope in passerby's but he was such a freak that she pitied him more than anything.

After he had left though, she had had so many bottle up memories of her parents springing to mind again that she had to sit down and play the Turkish march on the piano. The Turkish March was just her song, and she played it whenever she was sad, angry, ridiculously happy or was feeling a really strong emotion. So she had assumed her place at the piano and played The Turkish march over…and over…. and over again. Then she played it once more. When she was finished and silence rang in the house, she took a moment to think about the parents she had lost far too early for her liking.

One day out of the blue she had gotten a message days before Easter that her parents had died in an accident and just like that they were gone. It almost seemed unfair. In her opinion they deserved a much nobler death but an eighteen-wheeler had steamrollered them and then they were dead without ever knowing what had happened.

She collapsed on to the couch, suddenly very tired and reached for the phone hoping to find solace in her closest friend. She punched in Maria's number, a girl from the Dominican Republic hat she had grown very close to, on her phone and waited as it rang.. Eventually she got Maria's voice mail: "Hi … leave a message at the beep. But if this is Julio, you need to stop calling me!"

Ah, poor Julio, she thought but he message could not elicit a chuckle as it usually did. And she was VERY easily amused. She hurriedly left one of her own. "Hi Maria...err just give me a call when you get this." Her sadness now settled around her like a weight and she felt so out of it that she felt she was capable of nothing else but crawling into to bed to wallow in her own self pity. The house felt lonelier than it had in years. She didn't understand why the short conversation had left her so drained. _Damn the little blond boy _she thought irritably, _I blame you for everything. _

Legolas made a small fire with the sparse dry kindling he had gathered. Reaching into is pack for supplies he set about preparing the 'tea' that would return him to Lothlorien. If he could not get her to come with him willingly, he would have to call in reinforcements.

His movements, as he tried to gather his thoughts, were extremely jerky. What a girl! She had hardly let him get a word in edgewise before dismissing his claim. Her fierceness had unsettled him. If only she knew who he was, and the respect he commanded at home

But he was not at home, and Legolas doubted she would have cared either way.

Kira slept restlessly that night. Her poor parents haunted her dreams. They had only passed in her sophomore year of college. She was already an adult then, nineteen, so had set about creating a life and continuing college alone. She had taken the pitying looks all in stride and when it became obvious that people expected her to just breakdown and give up she had only fought harder against despair and persevered. But fighting despair for her had meant submerging all her feelings and now when she had least expected it, they had all come bubbling back to the surface.

. It is a strange and unsettling thing to lose you parents and then suddenly find yourself alone in the world. Sometimes, when some days were harder than others, she had wished she had been able to escape her life….

And this line of thought eventually brought her around to thinking about Legolas. What if there really was a place full of peaceful elves? The golden wood sounded like a very fitting name for such a place. Wait, elves don't exist…

Having effectively burst her own bubble she forcibly dismissed him as a silly little nance of a boy and left it at that. She wouldn't let herself believe that there was somewhere else to go. Life was never that easy.

Many times Kira drifted into consciousness that night. Once she dreamed of a small home at the edge of a valley and a young woman in a lovely blue dress but she rolled over once and then the dream was gone forever.

The closer she came to consciousness, when she struggled to sleep deeply, the more vividly she remembered how things had been. Their quiet home in the country, their long talks together as a family, and when she would play the piano for them in the sitting room. When her parents died, their house had felt so lonely that she moved to one closer to school. If there had been more time, one-day she would have asked them about their childhood and were they had lived when there younger…._ But there is nothing to be told _she told her pillow angrily, _because Legolas is a Liar. _ The pillow had no words of comfort.

Legolas opened his eyes slowly, bright light shone directly above his head. The bitter taste of the tea still stung his taste buds and he was decidedly nauseous. He recognized the floor he was so unceremoniously splayed on as that of Lord Celeborn's talan. He rose unsteadily. " Where is Galadriel?" he asked a wide-eyed servant seated in the corner. He wondered idly what people thought when he appeared in rooms abruptly, seemingly from nowhere. After all, you weren't supposed to be able to do such a thing.

"I am here," said a quiet voice directly behind him. Legolas turned slowly enough. He was used to Galadriel's dramatic entrances. "Why are you back so soon?"

"Kira was a bit… hesitant to come so I've returned for reinforcements—er—help."

"Help? Is that so?" Galadriel queried suspiciously. "I hope you do not plan to force her to do anything she does not wish to do."

"Of course not," Legolas mumbled. "So where are Lords Elladan and Elrohir?" The lady of the wood actually looked heavenward at the mention of her Grandchildren.

"They are in the kitchens. Eating me out of house and home as usual." Luckily, she didn't bother to ask why Legolas needed those two in particular.

"Thanks!" Legolas hollered as he ran out of the flet. He slid down the banister all the way to the bottom of the malorn. Elves were not generally prone to dizziness but that was a reeeeeeaaally long staircase.

After strolling under the canopy of trees he arrived at the kitchens where as Galadriel had predicted he found Elladan and Elrohir finishing what appeared to have been an impressive spread. "Hey guys, want to go on a trip with me?" Legolas asked as casually as he could.

"To where?" asked Elladan, ever the quick one.

"It's a yes or no question, Elladan," said Legolas lazily, ever the irritating one,

"Well…you know that super secret mission Galadriel sent me on? I'm inviting you along"

"Are you serious?" Elrohir asked incredulously. This mission Legolas spoke off, had been much speculated over between the two since Galadriel herself would tell them nothing. Legolas had figured that they would jump at the chance to go along. The Lords of Rivendell generally were not left out of anything.

Elladan and Elrohir glanced at each other once and said simultaneously, "All right. We're in."

Legolas smiled happily. He filled their empty mugs with the left over tea he had stored in his canteen. Slyly he said, " First a toast. Drink up boys."

Legolas groaned as he got up slowly. He would never get use to being flung back and forth between worlds. "Where in the world are we?" asked Elrohir from the floor blearily.

"Some place called France," supplied Legolas. The twins, he noticed, both looked rather green.

"And how exactly did we arrive here?" said Elladan angrily. Legolas shook his head pityingly. He had such a short temper.

"Did I forget to mention that the super secret mission involved traveling through worlds?" he said breezily, scrupulously examining his fingernails.

"It must have slipped your mind," said Elladan icily.

"Well if you will just take a seat,"—both lords were still sprawled on the floor looking thoroughly lost—"I'll tell you who we're here for and what I have planned."

Kira would be dead tired tomorrow morning. No matter how she tried, her racing thoughts kept her from drifting into a quiet slumber. The scratching of branches on the roof, the creek of a gate, it all seemed magnified in the still of the night. She rolled over tiredly as she heard another creek.

Something had changed in the air around her. She couldn't hear anything different, or see anything in the darkness of her room but gut instinct was telling her something was not as it should be. She lay down again, trying to push the thoughts from her mind, but her brain would not allow her to ignore the illusive threat she could barely perceive.

Then came the sound of the footsteps one made when trying very hard to be quiet. Kira's heart began to race. If she was not mistaken, someone was in her house _right now._

Instinct told her to shoot out of bed and fling her self in the direction of the nearest exit. Her window was too high off the ground and the door led her closer to the burglars.

Her only chance would be to use the element of surprise to gain the upper hand. Fighting another wave of panic, she tried to steady her breathing and then lay in wait. _I can tell today is just not going to be my day._

The soft whoosh of her bedroom door being pushed open made her stiffen. There were more than two attackers by the sound of them, but less than four. Never mind, Kira thought, mentally slapping herself. That put the tally at three.

The leader of the group positioned themselves at the end of the bed. As soon as she heard the whispered 'now' she dove from beneath her covers, barreling past the startled group, then thundering down the stairs.

By the time the group had gathered their wits, she was halfway through the door. She sprinted down the street as fast as she could. It frightened her to see that the street was deserted. It struck her that only the trees from the wood would hear her scream.

But this did not slow her down any. She sped up, in hopes of reaching a safe haven before she was caught.Suddenly, someone grabbed her form behind and swept her clean off of her feet. The feeling wasn't as pleasant as romance novels suggested. "Got you!" said her captor. She recognized the voice immediately.

"LEGOLAS YOU DIRTY BASTARD! LET ME GO!" She flung every curse she knew at him in French and wriggled mightily. His arms remained locked around her.

"Well I don't know what you said but it didn't sound very lady like." he whispered to her in English. He turned around to face the rest of his companions, swinging her as though she weighed nothing. He pointed to each of them and said their names.

"Well guys, this is Kirawen!" The twins eyed her warily.

"What language does she speak?" Asked Elrohir. Legolas shrugged his shoulders

"Some kind of barbarian tongue. Help me bind her, will you?"

"Is that really necessary?" Elladan was beginning to doubt that he should have come along. Abducting random maidens was not on his list of things to do before he set sail for the grey havens.

Kira took advantage of his distraction and kicked him…I won't say where for propriety's sake but it doesn't really take a genius to figure it out. He let out a little shriek but other wise it had no effect. "Dude, you must have balls of steel…" Everyone ignored her except the last of the elves, Elrohir, who seemed to find her antics highly amusing. Kira's glower wiped the smirk of his face.

"Can we just gag her and get this over with?" Elladan said tersely after a long pause. They were standing in the middle of the road, in the dead of night. It was cold and she was beginning to shiver. So there they were, three guys and a girl, out and about in the middle of the night. God, this had to be the definition of sketchy….

Gagged and bound Kira was marched back into her home then dumped on her living room floor. Legolas and Elladan went up the stairs and she could hear sounds that suggested her room was being searched. _If they're looking for jewels, they won't find anything,_ she thought with a grim sense of satisfaction.

To her astonishment, they came down the stairs with one of her traveling bags, with random articles of clothing jammed inside. One would think they only meant to take her on a pleasant outing.

Legolas led the group downstairs, with Kira and her guard behind him and Elladan bringing up the rear. When they reached her hallway closet, she slipped her feet stubbornly into a pair of shoes that were strewn in front of the closet doors. To her surprise he did not protest but seemed satisfied that she was not a complete idiot and knew well enough to wear shoes in the cold. This did nothing in the way of heartening Kira. Her kick had not saved her and they had a traveling bag of hers, which meant they would keep her for a while. Why not just kill her now and put her out of her misery? Kira already despised Legolas and she doubted if anything would ever change that.

They led her back to their campsite in the woods, apparently not needing any sort of light. Each time Kira stumbled Elrohir would try to help her up and she would always jerk her arm away.

They walked for many minutes as Kira continued to stare around her in despair. She was cold, miserable and desperately afraid. Why was this happening? How had they gotten into her house. Kira was a rather normal, kind of boring, just a little lame person (but with a charming disposition) in her own humble opinion. But not today. Today she was being kidnapped. She resisted the urge to say things could be worse, but as anyone with an iota of intelligence knows, things always get worse the second the saying is uttered.

The clearing Legolas halted the company in was different from the one Kira had first found him lying in. She sank ever so gracefully to the base of a tree. The snow had been brushed away hastily. In the light of their campfire Kira saw that Elladan and Elrohir were twins.

The fact that they had known it wouldn't take long to capture her and had so left their campfire going irritated her and made her regret that she had not put up a bigger struggle.

Legolas kneeled beside her. She hadn't even heard him approach. "So my friend, we meet again," he said casually as though they were discussing the weather and she wasn't a hostage. He removed the gag so she could talk and the ropes binding her hands. Running never occurred to her, nor screaming. This was personal.

She spit in his face. Elladan put down the ladle he held to stir the soup and Elrohir stopped stoking the fire long enough to watch.

"Friend my eye! I should have cut your throat when I had the chance. Where are you taking me?"

Still wiping the spit from his eye he answered, "I've already told you. I'm taking you to see Galadriel. There she will explain everything. Then I'll bring you back home, if you so choose."

"Fine," she said stonily, "But I want proof. Proof that this isn't just a joke and that you're not a corrupt salesman."

"Valar, did you think I was lying when I said we were elves? Here look for yourself." He pulled back a lock of hair near his temple to reveal pointed ears. Kira raised an eyebrow but she was not wholly convinced. Suspecting that it was only stage makeup, using her recently freed hand she grabbed the tip of his ear and pulled mightily. Nothing happened, other than his ear turning a rosy shade of pink.

Legolas on the other hand was glowering at her, looking highly uncomfortable, rubbing his ear were she had nearly yanked it off. "You didn't have to do that you know."

"It's no less that you deserve," she told him, not giving an inch.

Legolas, trying valiantly to keep his temper in check, stalked off towards the fire and returned with a cup of 'tea' and a bowl of the soup Elladan had prepared.

"Here eat this," he said in a sweet voice that made her want to gag. Kira eyed it contemptuously.

"Umm…not likely…." Legolas dashed the tea to the floor to show he had acquiesced.

"Fine, do as you wish," he said shoving a bowl of soup towards her. It didn't matter anyway. The soup was laced with the tea and it would transport her to the woods of Lothlorien.

" I don't know what you think is going to happen but me drinking that soup certainly isn't going to be it." Kira glared at him in the dark. Legolas sighed mightily. He had no idea what had made her such a mistrusting person but it was _really _annoying right about now and he didn't think he could take much more of it. "Lady, I am not trying to hurt you, only show you the truth."

"Why on earth do you think I should believe you? For god's sake I don't know you." It was official. This man is a world class idiot. He had kidnapped her and now he wanted to have a nice chat.

Unfortunately, Legolas had a charm about him that made saying no to anything more difficult than it had any right to be. It was probably one of the reasons she now officially despised him wholeheartedly. He could set a village on fire and people would continue to hail him for his little lopsided grin. Figuring it would do no good t argue as he didn't look like he was going to let up, she took a sip of the soup. When she didn't seize up and die instantly, she drank it a little more steadily.

Kira continued to drink the soup defeatedly, a little more than curious as to why Legolas looked so very gleeful. She looked from the soup, to him, and back again, instantly realizing what had happened. A funny feeling started way down in the bottom of her stomach. It felt as though the fiber of her being had been turned to dust and she was now being blown away. Though barely conscious, she found herself wishing she had left Legolas alone when he was just 'Robin Hood to her. Now weird things were about to happen, regardless of whether she was taken to another world or not and it was all because he thought he was an elf.

'Ah well…'she thought disparagingly.' You should have known he was a stupid git when you met him.'

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Hehe…and the excitement mounts. So…how about a review? puppy dog eyes


	4. Reunion of Heart and Soul

Disclaimer: I may be a little bit country and a little bit rock n' roll, however I is not Tolkien so I own nothing….

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Kira tried to remain still as sensation washed over her. Her head felt extremely heavy and muddled. She didn't rightly know which direction was up.

Peering through slitted eyes she noticed that someone was standing over her. "Let me guess. Are you the lady of the wood?" she asked groggily. The woman nodded and stepped back a little so that Kira could rise, gathering as much of her dignity as remained as she went..

"Then can you tell me why I'm here?" The woman dipped her head again. They stared at each other for a few moments. _Don't mind me, I'm here when your ready_, she thought sarcastically.

_That's not very polite_ a voice echoed in her head. Kira looked around wildly. Her eyes landed on Legolas in the corner and he only smiled knowingly. One glance at the mysterious woman told her that she was the one who had 'spoken.' Kira didn't take kindly to having her mind invaded and reacted without thought. "Out damned spot! Get out!" she hissed. It is honestly safe to say that Galadriel didn't take to being called a damned spot at all. Kira was too embarrassed at her behavior and so swallowed the apology rising in her throat.

"I am Galadriel, Queen of Lorien, Lady of the wood," she declared coldly. Kira had done it now. Galadriel lady was giving her the stink eye.

" I have brought you here to tell you that two roads lie before you. You can return to the life you have always known in another world, removed from all your kin with little prospects of ever having anything great or you can join with the elves and discover the life you were truly meant to live."

"Could someone please tell me what elves are?" she said whining just a little. Kira was now more than just a little afraid since it turns out Legolas hadn't been lying. The only elves she knew of made shoes…. and well it seemed highly unlikely that theses people did the same, especially Galadriel who looked like she hadn't done a day of hard work in her life.

"Elves are the first born, created by Iluvitar,, shortly after the world began."

Kira pretended to mull it over briefly but could not stay quiet for long. Creepy lady was watching Kira expectantly. Kira didn't like feeling out of the loop so decided she had some questions she wanted answered immediately. "Okay so you look like an elf, thus convincing me of your elven-ness, because I reckon that little glowy look you've got going on isn't easily imitated. So can you tell me how it is my parents ended up so far from here when they, and I in turn, are elves?"

" They were rather intrepid adventurers and traveled middle earth for many centuries, though there home was Rivendell and should you choose to remain here, yours as well. During the time of the last alliance they sought away to escape the darkness hat shadowed the Earth with their young daughter. Here is where the mystery lies, for they found a way to travel from this world to yours quite easily, eliminating all boundaries of time and space. I never discovered where they went and that they had died until I sensed their auras fading."

"Hmmmm…. is that how you found me then. With this aura thing of yours?"

"Oh no, your aura is much weaker than theirs for you have never visited the shores of Valinor. I simply new they had daughter who was now without parents and used my mirror to solve much of the rest."

"I see," Kira replied, feeling distinctly put out, though she couldn't see much at all. "Thanks. Now how did you use a mirror to find me? For all I know, you took that line from the beauty and the beast."

"I possess no ordinary mirror. My mirror can scry things that are, things that were, and somethings that have not yet come to pass." Kira wanted to ask how it was Galadriel hadn't been able to figure how her parents had gone if she had some blasted mirror that could see damn near everything but wisely remained silent. Finally Kira spoke again.

"How is it that you can understand me?" Galadriel smiled with a maddeningly superior air. "My dear it is my gift to understand all those who come before me."

Now they regarded each other in silence and it gave Kira the opportunity to look out the window.

There were big beautiful golden trees everywhere and the foreignness of the scene nearly sent her mind into overload. This was paradise or on earth or she was dead. No question about it.

Losing herself in thought, she began to ponder her situation more fiercely. Kira didn't really know what to do with the majority of this information. Just now she was finding out that her parents weren't who they said they were. They were probably much older than she had ever guessed and it seemed now that they were gone, these people wanted her to return to a world she didn't even remember if she had in fact actually been there. " So what do you want me to do about all of this. I'm really at a loss here?" she said wrinkling her nose as Galadriel continued to stare down at her. "If you were to remain here, you would acquire all the traits of our race: Immortality, The fair skin, superior sight, and superior hearing."

"Superior to whom?"

" I am comparing us to the other races of Middle-earth. Humans, dwarves, Orcs…." Kira decided she would ask about the 'Orcs' later. She was not buying the promise of immortality so much either.

"How can I be an elf? I don't feel like one at all."

"So full of questions…When you were born your parents separated your soul and theirs, dividing your heart and elf like traits into two separate entities…. they repressed your natural abilities and altered your physical development…. so that you could travel side by side undetected by other races. They did the same for themselves, and if I am not mistaken, they did this with the intent of returning to Rivendell and taking back their lives in the home behind. But as you know, life is like a river. It has many ebbs and flows, and all ends cannot be foreseen." An uncomfortable silence followed this. Kira gulped down huge amounts of air, trying to ease the burning in her throat. To think that they had died so far from home without their family…..Suddenly a thought sprung into her head. "Do I have any more family in Rivendell?" She asked suddenly.

"Yes in fact you do. Grandparents and a sister I assume you do not remember…."

Kira felt a horrible tightening in her chest. She had family…. And she wasn't an only child. They must think that her parents had abandoned them! That train of thought was halted with a sudden screech. Why had her parents told her none of this?

She took her time staring around the room and absently noted that at some point in time Legolas had gone. "What Is life like here?" she asked absently. Galadriel was looking at her so kindly, despite her earlier rudeness, that the answer she gave kind of killed the mood. "Enough questions tonight! You are as inquisitive as a hobbit. I see you still have many questions, but there are many you must answer on your own. I will send Legolas again in three moths time to collect you and should choose to remain here I could reunite your heart and soul. But for now, goodnight."

Kira remained silent as Legolas and she drank the tea and he escorted her home. Just because he hadn't been lying it appeared, didn't mean she wasn't going to get his ass. And now, since she had a lot to think about it never occurred to ask him what in the hell a hobbit was and whether being called one was good or bad.

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And so the tension mounts! If you like dramatic soap operas, I'm sure you will feel inclined to review. And if you don't like soap operas review anyway because that little purple button in the corner looks awfully lonely.


	5. Vive a la France

When I have managed to count every single star in our galaxy, people might pity me enough to reward me with the rights to lotr but until then…. I will snuggle with my Legolas plushy.

Some of the parts in this chappie were seriously lame so I took it upon myself to change it…hope you like it!

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Kira ascended the stairs carefully. Traveling between worlds certainly took its toll on ones body. According to Galadriel, her parents had invented the concoction to do it. Maybe that's why they hadn't returned to Lorien or Rivendell: they knew how unpleasant the journey was.

Kira sighed. Never try to crack a joke when you are bone tired, even if its just in your head. All you get is a big piece of lameness.

Over the next few months, Kira became incredibly caught up in the decision she now had to make. She hadn't the courage to reveal anything to her friends as of yet but anyone who new her well could tell she was freaking out about something. The anxiety from her recent encounter with the elves and all the information they had dumped her lap had left her literally feeling ill some days and her schoolwork suffered as a result.

That morning she hadn't been able to string together sentence with more than three words in Japanese and in art class her clay project looked a little better than a puddle of puke. "My god Kira! What has gotten into you?" hollered Maria, as Kira splashed clay on her from he wheel for the dozenth time. It remained unsaid that Kira was a lot better artist than this.

Something finally snapped deep inside Kira and her decision was made. "Alright if you really want to know, meet me after school behind the psychology building. And bring Jordan too. And I know what your thinking but no, I have not decided to seek psychological treatment." Without another word she grabbed her bag and her jacket from the back of her chair and ducked out of the room.

Kira had to wait three hours in the gloomy shadow of the psychology building before her friends showed up since they had not decided to skip all of their classes as Kira suddenly had.

The problem Galadriel had presented Kira with was difficult. She could remain in her comfort zone in France and pretend none of this had ever taken place. The choice killed her but in the end she knew what she would do. In the face of such possibility it wouldn't do to hesitate.

Even when Maria came charging over the snow covered ground like a mad bull, Kira managed to hold her resolve. "All right, what's up? Why have you covered me in clay drippings?" Maria said, coming to a halt mere inches a way from Kira's nose. Maria was half-Jamaican and half-Dominican, had inherited the fire from both sides, and at 5'2, was very imposing. Kira would never tell Maria this for fear she would go on a rampage, but some kids had taken to calling her Frau Hitler.

"Yea sorry about that but I do really have something important to tell you. So could you back up a bit and stop looking at me like you want to rip my innards out?" She conceded reluctantly, leaving Kira room to breath. So breathe she did. And again. But the words were stuck in her throat. This was the hard part. How do you really give any good reason for leaving the friends who have always been there for you? In the daylight, away from the mystical elves, conviction was a hard thing to maintain. Her friends had no idea what she had seen and so they might not understand the decision to stay. But really, what else could she do? She had a chance to start over really, to be who ever she wanted to be. There was a whole side of her that stood in mystery's shadow. Every answer that she wanted lay in "Elvendom."

Kira stood looking dazed, not having found anything to say. She knew if she didn't come up with something to say soon, she would start rambling, as she had a tendency to do when she was really nervous.

"Kira spit it out. You've been gaping at us for the past three minutes and the 'gulping fish out of water look' really isn't all that flattering." This from Maria, of course. Kira took the moment to glare indignantly at her before deciding she could delay no longer.

"Ages ago and ages hence-"

"Oh just get on with it."

"Alright! Some months ago, I was abducted by three very obnoxious men and taken to another world. They actually 'took me to their leader'." she laughed nervously. "Anyway, by and by, I discovered that I am an elf, or was one, and that it is in my best interest to go with the elves once more. So I must travel to their world to live with the rest of the elves." She looked down at her booted toes and waited for them to answer. Aloud it had sounded so very stupid. I mean just plain dumb. Maria snorted and Jordan laughed merrily.

"Ah, a jest! Funny, but not at all you. What's really the matter?"

"Maria I'm serious. My parents weren't from around here…and I've decided that now that they're dead, I want to go home. Or I should go home. I was more convinced of this fact than anything. Not against my will, if you follow me but they had a very strong argument." No need to throw in the fact that she had family waiting for her. After a while, Jordan asked, "So what's this about the elves?" Figures Jordan would be the one to ask about elves, they were right up his alley.

"Um, I don think I'm suppose to tell, not that there's much to say. The are _very _far from here, live in trees, they're actually rather tall and yeah, that's all I know. From what I can gauge, my life will be one whole big camping trip. But something's telling me I should go anyway and once I go…" There was silence as they all took a moment to think. It gave Kira time to look out at the trees in the old forest she usually walked home through. The forest where she had found Legolas. Sadly, the trees she had glimpsed in the golden wood made these look like weeds in comparison. It was that way with a lot of things she had seen…

"Kira you can't expect me--us to believe this…" Jordan looked so sad Kira didn't know what to do. He was looking at her as though his grandma had just died or she had pushed a litter of kittens into a vat of boiling glue. Kira tried not to cry as silence settled over the group again. Her two most loyal friends thoughts she had suddenly become a liar and now she would have to disappear without them ever realizing the truth.

"Well I believe you," Maria burst out forcefully, as though this settled the matter, her inner battle having already been resolved. Jordan raised his eyebrow questioningly. "Don't be dense Jordan. The story is too dumb to have been made up and just look how green she looks! She's wishing desperately with every fiber of her being that we will believe her. It's rather pathetic really. At any rate, that's what were going to do because she is our friend." Kira didn't know whether to hug Maria or box her round the head. She settled on breathing a sigh of relief. They (or at least Maria, which Kira had previously thought to be the more stubborn of the two) trusted her!!!

"Thanks Maria." Kira mumbled quietly, blinking fiercely. They certainly don't make them like Maria Escovez anymore. Jordan was looking at her a bit shame faced and she smiled to let him know everything was fine between them.

"Don't worry Kira. Everything will be fine." Maria did something that was rather surprising, as she often was rather coarse. She took Kira in her arms and just hugged her gently. "When do you leave?" Maria asked from somewhere near Kira's shoulder.

'Its been two months already so I have one left."

"Excellent, so you won't miss graduation. This leaves enough time to plan a good-bye party."

"Are you sure this is a good idea? I'm not telling anyone else where I'm going and I really don't want to cause a stir…"

"Don't worry, everyone will be so bloody drunk the want be able to tell my dog from the table lamp." She supplied brightly. Maria had a one solution fits all policy: When you're down, find the rum and dance the night away.

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Author; Hugs and kisses to any one who reviews!

Potential reviewers: BOO!!!! HISS!!!

Author meekly fine, marble cheesecake brownies then?

Reviewers: Yayness!

A/N:Jordan is a bit of a wallflower in this chapter and since Kira leaves after this, you will never know if it gets any better. However I can tell you that on the inside, Jordan is very deep and soulful. Hehe.


	6. Memories

Still waiting for those reviews….

Tolkien's work not mine. Good.

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It was a very drunk and nostalgic Kira that stumbled home after the graduation farewell. Barely weeks after Kira had come clean, Maria had thrown a legendary party that would live on in infamy Kira sighed as she recalled the bright lights, dancing and Argentineans. Yes those Argentineans were fun.

Her mascara was run from the good bit of crying she had done. She looked like death warmed up, probably smelled worse but as they say, its what's on the inside that counts. And on the inside, she played host to a very warm and cozy feeling of contentment.

All loose ends were tied up. Her days as a college student were officially over and now she was ready to forge on. She had a couple days before Legolas, the alpha and omega of her troubles, was due to arrive so she deiced to leave forging on until then. As for now, the contents of her stomach had a date with the upstairs toilet.

000

Days later, an achy Kira dragged herself from bed. She yawned her way through making breakfast and nodded off halfway through the book she was currently reading. Today was not the day for lazing she decided. The sun was high in the sky sand if she sat still any longer she would turn to stone.

With newfound energy she changed into a sweat suit and bounded to the door. She felt like a kid on a sugar high and wasn't about to let the feeling go. So she was understandable disappointed to open her door to find Legolas Greenleaf standing there with his hand poised to knock. Kira groaned loudly. "You just had to come today. What is it?" 

Legolas, she noticed was looking up and down the street warily as though he didn't trust the concrete or one of her shrubs was likely to stab him in the back. "Not so brave in the light are we?"

"Are you going to let me in?" he said, just a little nervous.

"Is there any reason I should?"

"Yes, of course. We leave to day." His confidence returned instantly as it did when he knew something someone else didn't. Legolas spoke as though this was the most obvious thing on the planet and she was a dunce not to know it. She scowled mightily at the snobby elf in front of her.

What did it take to have some peace form him? Alas, as much as she wanted to slam the door, she knew she could not leave him in this world alone. God only knows what kind of havoc he could wreak on the citizens of her quiet town.

She stalked away from the door, not bothering with any niceties as he was bound to follow her. She couldn't believe she had thought him handsome. Nothing had changed in his face but she knew for a fact the powerful churning in her stomach and her burning skin had nothing to do with any sort of physical attraction. She was pissed as hell. Or so she said.

Her mood was shot to hell and now she was staring across the table at the lone emissary from the elven lands. She had made cocoa again and he was focused intently on his cup. If she had yelled that she had cancer or something, he probably wouldn't have stirred. Especially since cancer probably didn't exist where he was from.

The minutes dragged by and still he hadn't said a word. Occasionally he would look around her kitchen or examine something on the table. "Okay is there any reason at all why you're here? Do you need something or are you just going to keep on cleaning out that cup like a half starved vagabond?" he raised his eyes slowly to meet hers and she was shocked to see they contained amusement only. He was doing this on purpose. He loved to rile her up and Kira wasn't in the mood for today.

"Alright funny boy. Did Galadriel send you? Are my three months up?"

"Yes on both counts. I should tell you If you've decided to stay, which I know you have, that once we leave you will never be able to return.." Kira huffed indignantly and snapped back, "Oh so you think you've got the measure of me do you?"

"Yes actually. I know you long for friends and family and people like you. You_ need _to go back."

"Why do you always have to act like you know everything? I should just throw you out my door and let a rabid dog maul you or something." He nodded slowly. Kira had to stifle a snicker. He had no idea what she'd just suggested but was too proud to admit it.

They sat at the table for a few moments in silence. "Well aren't you going to pack?" Legolas asked curiously. Right, packing. Wait, packing?

"We're leaving today? Like right now?"

"Yes, unless you'd like to wait for the end of this world. How would that suit you?"

Kira narrowed her eyes momentarily. Cheeky little git. "I liked you better without the sarcasm." He laughed a real laugh for the first time.

"Liar. You hardly liked me at all!" And he continued to laugh even as Kira stomped off to her room.

000

Kira could muster no enthusiasm for the task ahead. If she was honest with herself, she didn't want to leave her quaint little home behind. She tried to console herself with the though that Lorien and Middle-earth was as quaint as you could get. Predictably it didn't really do much to brighten her mood so she set out to do some really disheartened packing.

The packing was dull but quick and it took her under thirty minutes to pack the most important parts of her life away into one small wooden trunk. It was funny how everything she thought she needed or was important had turn to rubbish before her eyes in light of some recent developments. "I knew I shouldn't have splurged on this rug," she muttered darkly. What a waste.

Kira tried to maneuver her and the trunk gracefully down the stair but it was beyond her mere mortal capabilities. The trunk slipped from her sweaty palms and went careening down the stairs sounding to the entire world like an artillery bombardment. "So I see you're packed then." Called Legolas from the bottom of the stairs. He made no move to right the trunk at his feet. No, he continued to smirk at Kira. He was obviously enjoying her idiocy. Kira ignored him and picked up the last few things she had a mind to carry in a frenzy to hide her embarrassment.

000

Kira was stalling and Legolas knew it. "Have you seen my mug?" she asked for the fourth time.

"In you're trunk," he replied boredly. His answer hadn't changed from the last three times she had asked. "Oh. Where are my sandals I wonder?"

"On the roof! Valar help me, can we leave now?" Kira hadn't been listening and so didn't know what he had actually said but the irritation in his voice didn't go unnoticed.

He was propped on her door frame staring moodily at her from under furrowed brows. "Fine, I come. By and by I come. Wretch," she added under her breath.

000

A few minutes later Kira and Legolas were both standing awkwardly on her front porch. Kira had unabashedly insisted that she have a moment to say good-bye to her home. What? It was a good home for however short a time.

She relished the feeling of the cool wood of her front door on her forehead. She was leaning, with her eyes closed trying to pull herself together and let go. She wondered idly what would happen if she chose not to go. Somehow she knew this was her destiny. It was all or nothing. Right here, right now. Adrenaline was pounding through her veins and there was a roaring in here ears. No hesitation. This was it, the end of an era and god knows what else.

"I'm ready. Let's go."

"Finally," the prince huffed and stepped of into the fading light.

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Will dance for Reviews.


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